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Community Corner

How to Get Fit Without Joining a Gym

Strap on your pedometer, grease up your baby stroller, and hit the roads of Cleveland Heights for a workout that will take your breath away

As the deputy editor of FITNESS Magazine, Mary Anderson has her finger on the pulse of the latest workout trends. But what she really craves is running outdoors.

“It’s just not the same on a treadmill—I get inspired by the outdoors, whereas I cover the treadmill’s digital readout with my towel.” 

And with good reason: Fitness experts widely agree that seeing greenery while working out reduces stress and can improve performance. Yet only 22 percent of women exercise outside of the gym, according to a recent Women’s Health survey.

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With some creative planning, you can skip the gym—including the monthly payments and the wait lists for hot yoga—and hit the road (or laundry room) for some serious conditioning.

Here are some ways to get fit without signing up for a gym:

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Be a team player. A University of Copenhagen study found that women who played soccer benefited more in overall fitness than women who ran alone. Scientists believe the social nature of the sport was a factor, says Anderson. Sign up for road races and train with a group of friends, join the city's baseball league, or become a member of a bicycle club.

Spring cleaning. Mowing the lawn, vacuuming and ironing clothes gain some appeal when you consider the benefits of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), or movements outside of an actual workout, says Women’s Health Senior Fitness Editor Jen Ator.

Such spontaneous movements can reduce stress, improve your mood, boost your metabolism and add years to your life, says Ator.

Step it up. FITNESS tracked how frequently we use our glutes and the results were not that often at all. One solution is to hit the stairs—consistently. Ator reports that a study out of a European journal showed hospital workers who climbed stairs exclusively for 12 weeks saw significant improvements in lung capacity, body fat reductions, and waist circumference. Railroad station steps offer a great opportunity for a regimented pre- or post-work exercise session. Also use steps for push-ups and step-ups.

Happy trails. “Nature’s uneven terrain also challenges your muscles way more than smoothly calibrated fitness machines. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that walking or running outdoors requires more effort than moving at the same speed on a treadmill, meaning you can burn more calories in the same amount of time,” says Ator.

It helps that there are great walking trails in Cleveland Heights.

Big (and little) wheels keep on turning. Rollerblading burns 805 calories an hour in the average 135-pound woman, says Anderson, or the equivalent of an 8-minute mile. Paved county trails are safe, car-free zones for rollerblading, bike riding and pushing your baby stroller.

Swing time: Make use of time at the park with your kids by turning swings into balance training tools. “Place your feet on the seat and your hands on the ground so that you’re in a push-up position. Hold there for up to 60 seconds, or make it more challenging by bending your knees toward your chest, keeping your core tight and back flat,” suggests Ator. Pack a Frisbee and burn 511 calories an hour, says Anderson.

Beached: Public beaches offer an instant workout boost thanks to the resistance sand adds to any activity. Increase your calorie burn by walking or running on the beach and doing squat jumps, lunges and side-to-side hops, says Ator.

Now that you’re ready to break out of the gym mold, it’s time to consider how to track your progress. Here are some tracking equipment and app picks from the editors at Women’s Health and FITNESS magazines.

Heart rate monitors are a favorite among trainers and can be set up to beep when you fall out of your target zone. “They act as a sort of coach,” says Anderson.

One of Anderson’s favorites is the Nike+ FuelBand, which tracks all of your daily movement in calories and allows you to set goals. An app allows you to keep track of your calorie burn and share your progress with friends.

Track how far and how fast you run, how many calories you burn, and for how long with a Garmin GPS watch and the Garmin Fit smartphone app. “Both are very motivating to keep you on your goal,” says Anderson. 

FITNESS Magazine’s Express Workouts app includes the magazine’s most popular 15-minute toning workouts, including how-to videos, says Anderson. 

“A pedometer by Fitbit One may be one of the simplest tools to help you get moving,” says Ator. The Fitbit One fits into your pocket or bra and accurately tells you how many steps you’ve taken throughout the day. “I find that when people wear any type of tracking device, they instantly and subconsciously increase the number of steps they take throughout the day. While it may not seem like walking could do all that much for your waistline, hitting 10,000 steps can burn up to 500 extra calories per day. No actual workout required,” says Ator. 

How do you get a good workout in your town without spending big bucks? Tell us in the comments.

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